drowning machine
n.— «This creates a hazardous situation for paddlers who don’t know that the river is about to take a dangerous drop. Low-head dams, such as Idols, are often referred to as “drowning machines” because of the way the recirculating water continues to pull a person underwater.» —“Making the Yadkin safer” by Lisa O’Donnell Winston-Salem Journal (North Carolina) Sept. 1, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ribbon fall. Gallery forest. You won’t find terms like these in most dictionaries, but they and hundreds like them are discussed by famous writers in the book Home Ground: A Guide to the American Landscape. The book is an intriguing collection...
In White Oleander (Bookshop|Amazon), novelist Janet Fitch touts the value of memorizing poetry with these memorable lines: Always learn poems by heart. They have to become the marrow in your bones. Like fluoride in the water, they’ll make your soul...